Oat flours, such as the flours prepared by grinding rolled oats, have been proposed for use in cosmetic preparations. U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,026 discloses a face pack or mask utilizing oat flour as the principal ingredient for applying an astringent to the skin. In a typical formulation, twenty ounces of oat flour are combined with three ounces of potash alum, and one ounce of casein.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,436,818 describes the incorporation of oat flour in a wide variety of cosmetic preparations, including skin lotions, cold cremes, and dentifrices. The oat flour is described as having a particle size such that 80 to 90% will pass through a 60 mesh screen. The amount of oat flour used depends on the type of preparation, up to 40% for a face mask preparation, or larger amounts for dry cosmetic preparations.
The use of ultra fine oat flours in cosmetic preparations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,995. The oat flour has a particle size such that about 98% passes through a 200 mesh screen. It is stated that 1 to 20% or more of the oat flour can be used. In the formulations for cosmetic cremes disclosed in the examples, the amount of oat flour used ranges from 1 to 2%.